The Chieftain was a radical evolutionary development of the successful
Centurion line of tanks that had emerged at the end of the Second World
War. The British had learned during the war that their tanks often
lacked sufficient protection and firepower compared to those fielded by
the enemy, and that this had led to high casualty levels when faced with
the superior German tanks in World War II. Chieftain was designed to
be as well protected as possible and to be equipped with a powerful 120
mm rifled gun. The heavy armour came at the price of reduced mobility,
chiefly due to engine power limitations, which was perhaps the
Chieftain's main drawback.

Get the newest arrivals in your inbox

Sign up for our newsletter to see what's new receive special offers and get the latest news